Received PhD in Latin American History from Tulane University in 1973. Areas of specialization: Modern Mexico, U.S.-Latin American relations, militarism/foreign intervention in Latin America, U.S. business history (especially federal regulation and consumer fraud).

Professional Offices Held: Past President of Southwestern Historical Association; Past President of Southwestern Council of Latin American Studies. Administrative Positions Held: Chair, Department of History; Director, Master of Liberal Arts Program; Associate Dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Consultant to Library of Congress, U.S. Department of Education (Foreign Programs), National Endowment for the Humanities. Contributing Editor, Handbook of Latin American Studies , Modern Mexico Section (Library of Congress). Fellowships and Grants: Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Fellowship, Shell International Studies Fellowship, National Defense Education Act Fellowship, Mellon Fellowship.

Married with one daughter, born in 1988. Latest Books: Tangled Destinies: Latin America and the United States (University of New Mexico Press, 1999) and Mexico: An Encyclopedia of Contemporary Culture and History (ABC-Clio, 2004).